Biblical Success - Running Our Race - the "D" Vine StrategySample

So that’s the eternal perspective. We are all here on earth for a very short time to do significant things God has planned for us to do. And we must choose to do them. They won’t “just happen.” It won’t be easy. We will be opposed if we decide to do God’s will and live as disciples. Making that choice will be very counter-cultural and not win any popularity contests within the church or without. It is a choice that has always seemed too costly to those who don’t make it, who have always been the majority. Jesus preached to thousands, but most of them walked away. There were only about 90 in the upper room when He sent His Spirit to birth the church.

The truth is that the decision to walk away is the costly one. Satan is a deceiver and a liar. Since he first deceived Eve and then Adam in the garden, he has been on the earth opposing God and tempting God’s people to choose anything but following God and His ways. All the promises that joy, peace, fulfillment, contentment, and ultimate meaning can be found in any alternative to God are clever lies that lead to emptiness, frustration, and separation from God. They come in pretty packages but contain the worst form of ugliness and ultimate eternal betrayal and loss.

The parable of the Minas in Luke chapter 19 speaks of a Master who calls together his servants, tells them he is going away for a while but will return, and gives them each one “mina.” The mina was a form of money representing a resource that could be used and multiplied. In this case, the Master challenged his servants to“put it to use (do business) until I return.” You can see, can’t you, that this parable represents Jesus as our Master, and we are the servants. The mina isn’t money, but it is the ability to do the business that Jesus was about, as He reminded Mary and Joseph in Luke 2:49, His Father’s business. The power of His Spirit living within us can use us as us to expand the Father’s Kingdom.

When the Master came back in the parable, he required an accounting. His response showed much greater satisfaction with the 10 mina return than with the five. Some servants returned only the one they had been given, unused. The Master was angry. We will each also be required to account for our work. Jesus will want to know what we have done with all He died to give us.

Jesus has called each of us to abide and put to work in the Kingdom the resources he has provided. His calls to us have been “Come to me” to be saved. “Follow Me” that’s what disciples do full time, “Abide with Me” that’s “Get close to me, learn of me, stay with Me and bear fruit, much fruit, and more fruit. Let’s glorify the Father together!” Many answer the first call or at least think they have, but don’t take the next step to follow and then abide, and their lives bear no fruit. They will suffer eternal loss though saved. (I Corinthians 3:15)

Each of us has been given a Mina. It combines our location, education, experiences, gifts (spiritual and natural), talents, age, and cultural environment. What will we do? To abide or not to abide, that is the question.